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Motivations to go West

Motivations to go West. Mining Industry - Positives. Mining Industry - Negatives. Harder to find gold/silver over time Underground mining became popular quickly Many men resorted to working for a large company Dangerous conditions Low odds of becoming rich. 1849 – Gold Rush

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Motivations to go West

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  1. Motivations to go West Mining Industry - Positives Mining Industry - Negatives Harder to find gold/silver over time Underground mining became popular quickly Many men resorted to working for a large company Dangerous conditions Low odds of becoming rich • 1849 – Gold Rush • 1858 – Pike’s Peak, Colorado (Gold) • 50,000 miners moved in 1859 • 1858 – Comstock Lode  Nevada (Silver) • 1860 – 1890 = $306 million in silver/quartz • 1874 – Black Hills Gold (Dakota Territory) • 1881 – Copper in Montana

  2. Mining Cycle

  3. Hydraulic Mining

  4. Motivations to go West Cattle Industry - Positives Cattle Industry - Negatives Supply increase = price drop Barbed wire closed the routes Harsh winters Grazing exhausted the trails 1880’s – all done • Huge profits if herds could be moved • Chisolm Trail • Railroads provided beef to new markets

  5. Motivations to go West Homesteading/Farming - Positives Homesteading/Farming - Negatives 160 acres not enough to make a living in the West Harsh weather conditions Native American attacks Isolation • Homestead Act • $10 fee • 160 acres • 5 years + improvement

  6. Consider This… • When taking a vacation, or any other sort of trip, does the mode transportation impact your decision to go?

  7. Railroads Transform the Nation

  8. Why Build the Railroad? • Encourage western settlements • Western economies would benefit • Western areas would have a greater hand in government

  9. Building Begins • Two companies given the job of completing the railroad • Central Pacific • Union Pacific • Both faced issues in paying for the completion of the job

  10. Central Pacific Union Pacific

  11. Who worked on the Rails? • Most of the laborers were minority groups • Irish • Chinese • Former Slaves • Native Americans

  12. Completion of the Rails • Process took around 6 years • Finished May 10, 1869 • Promontory Point, Utah • The last spike was gold to commemorate the event • The east and west are joined together

  13. We can tell what time it is simply by looking at a clock, watch, or our cell phones, but... How do we know what time it is in San Francisco, California? What caused this to occur? Consider This...

  14. We can tell what time it is simply by looking at a clock, watch, or our cell phones, but... How do we know what time it is in San Francisco, California? What caused this to occur? Consider This...

  15. Think about these... • How did the Transcontinental Railroad transform the west? • What lasting effects are around from the railroad? • Why do we have time zones today?

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